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A close up of fried eggplant in a cherry tomato and basil sauce. It's presented in a blue and white country style bowl.
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Melanzane a Funghetto (Fried Eggplant in Tomato Sauce)

Melanzane a Funghetto is a Neapolitan summer dish. It's made with pieces of fried eggplant served in a really quick and simple cherry tomato sauce with garlic and basil. It's easy to make and packed with flavour, perfect served as a side dish, with pasta or with some crusty bread.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 - 6 servings
Author: Emily Wyper

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant (or 2 small)
  • 1 lb (450g) cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 2 whole garlic cloves peeled
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) 60ml water
  • Small handful fresh basil leaves
  • Salt
  • Olive oil
  • Sunflower oil for frying (or flavourless oil of choice)

Instructions

  • Trim and cut the eggplant (1 large or 2 small) into medium sized cubes and place in a colander. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and leave to drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
    Two photos in a collage showing how to cut a eggplant into small cubes.
  • Squeeze out any excess liquid as best as you can with your hands then pat the eggplant dry with kitchen paper.
  • Heat 1 inch deep of sunflower oil (or frying oil of choice) in a medium sized pan. Once hot, fry the eggplant in batches until golden brown then set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.
    Two photos in a collage, one showing eggplant getting fried and one showing it sitting on a plate on top of kitchen paper to drain the oil.

To make the sauce

  • Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan and sauté the 2 whole garlic cloves until lightly golden.
  • Add 1lb or 450g of sliced cherry tomatoes and sauté until they start to break down. Add 1/4 cup (60ml) of water, a small handful of torn basil leaves and a good pinch of salt and pepper to the sauce, let it simmer for 10 minutes, don’t let the sauce dry out.
    Two photos in a collage; one showing two whole garlic cloves in a pan with olive oil and another showing sliced tomatoes being added.
  • Add the eggplant to the sauce and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Remove the garlic before serving then serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Prep ahead - this recipe tastes even better the next day. You can prep it the day before and store it in the fridge.
Storage - will keep well in the fridge for 3 days. The recipe can be doubled if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 513mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 577IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
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